Description
National Motorcycle Museum | Solihull, West Midlands
Viewing: Tues 24th March from 1pm
Auction: Wed 25th March from 9am
Location: National Motorcycle Museum, Coventry Road, Bickenhill, Solihull B92 0EJ
1955 Moto Rumi Formichino
No Reserve
Registration No: 812 XWB
Frame No: 20884
MOT: Exempt
Unusual Italian micro-scooter with horizontally opposed twin-cylinder engine
Older restoration with period patina and earlier paint showing through
Offered with V5C registration document
The Rumi Formichino is one of the most distinctive micro-scooters to emerge from post-war Italy. Introduced in the early 1950s by Officine Meccaniche Rumi of Bergamo, the model reflected the ingenuity and optimism of the period, offering economical and practical transport in a compact and characterful form. Unlike many contemporary scooters, the Formichino featured a technically unusual horizontally opposed two-cylinder two-stroke engine, a configuration that provided notably smooth running for such a small machine and helped set it apart from many of its rivals.
Styled with typically elegant Italian simplicity, the Formichino combined flowing bodywork with compact proportions, creating a scooter that was both functional and visually distinctive. Its enclosed body panels, integrated headlamp nacelle and small wheels gave it a charming, almost automotive appearance, while the twin-seat arrangement made it practical for everyday use. These qualities helped the model gain popularity during a period when lightweight two-wheeled transport played an important role in post-war mobility across Europe.
The example offered here appears to have benefitted from restoration work carried out many years ago. Evidence of this can be seen in the paintwork, where older finishes and signs of previous repainting are now beginning to show through, contributing to the machine’s period patina. The scooter retains considerable character and presents as an appealing project for sympathetic recommissioning or preservation.
Accompanied by its V5 registration document, this Formichino represents an increasingly collectable example of an unusual and technically interesting Italian scooter. Today, surviving machines are appreciated by collectors of early Italian scooters and post-war micro-transport, making this a characterful example of a charming and innovative design.
** Bidding will take place live at the venue, online via our H&H website, by telephone and commission - T&Cs apply**
Parking and entry into the auction is free for auction attendees with a catalogue, available at the door.
Catalogues can be purchased for £20 (admits 2 people).
